Bob Wollek

Bob Wollek (born the November 4th 1943 with Strasbourg, France - deceased the March 16th 2001 with Sebring, the United States) was a pilot of automobile race French.

Biography

It is on the skis that Bob Wollek began its sporting career. Military world champion, then university, it integrates the team of France of 1966 to 1968. During this period, it carries out its beginnings in automobile sport by taking part with a friend in the Rally of Mont Blanc on a Renault 8 Gordini. But this first incursion on four wheels, although showing the first success, is anything else only one entertainment for Wollek, which gives the priority to the ski and which has besides in line of sight the Winter Olympics of 1968 with Grenoble. But during the selections, it is wounded seriously and had to put a term at its career of skier.

It then decides to be reorientated in the automobile sport, initially in rally, then on the track. Second of the Shell Wheel, then victorious of the Trophy Alpine, it takes down a wheel for the 24 hours of Mans 1968, qu ' it finishes in the 11th place over Alpine a 1300. It turns then to the single-seater, but some beautiful performances in the championship of Europe of Formula 2 (in particular a victory with Imola in 1972) do not enable him to force the doors of the Formule 1.

Gradually, it specializes in the tests of endurance, of which it is not long in being affirmed like one of the best world specialists, while becoming one of the right-hand men of the German manufacturer Porsche. Victorious of the championship of Germany Groups 5 in 1978, 1982 and 1983, of the 24 hours of Daytona in 1983, 1985, 1989 and 1991, as well as 12 hours of Sebring in 1985, it will however manage never to hang to its prize list general classification 24 hours of Mans, and that in spite of many good performances (3 poles, 4 victories of categories, 4 times in 2nd place, 2 times in 3rd place…)

Achieved sportsman, Bob Wollek one was impassioned of bicycle and according to a well established ritual, had taken the practice, before the 24 hours of Mans, to rejoin Strasbourg with the Mans with bicycle. It is on its bicycle that it found death on March 16th, 2001 in an traffic accident (a truck reversed it) near the circuit of Sebring in Florida where it was to take part the following day in the 12 hours.

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